A. L. Kaplan

Category: Short Story

  • Mirage

    20151207_120422

    “Damn it, Joe. We’ve been searching for hours. That pet of yours could be anywhere.”

    Joe bit his lip as he scanned the landscape. “She’s just playing hide and seek. We’ll find her.”

    Billy wiped the sweat from his face. “No we won’t. That chameleon could be right in front of us and we wouldn’t see it. You should never have let it outside.”

    “Wasn’t right to keep her locked up. Creature like that needs to fly.”

    “Well it flew alright, probably into the next county. Let them deal with it.”

    “I’m not giving up.”

    “Well I’m hot, tired, and I’ve seen at least four disappearing ponds. I need a drink.”

    “Let’s just check the next few sand dunes. She’s got to be close.” He gave a shrill whistle and trudged up the next sandy slope. “Come on baby, where are you? Come to papa.”

    “Get real, Joe. It’s a bloody reptile, not a dog.”

    Joe felt heat flush his face. He glared at Billy. “She’s smarter than any dog.”

    “Not even close. My…what the….”

    Sand shifted under Billy’s feet, and he tumbled down the dune. A pair of fist sized golden orbs peered at Joe, then Billy’s prone figure. Rows of jagged teeth appeared and a rumbling laugh filled the air.

    “There’s my little Mirage,” said Joe. Her tail thrashed back and forth as he scratched behind her leathery wing. “You showed him who’s smarter. Great camouflage.”

    Billy sighed. “You win, but you’re concept of size is really skewed.”

  • INFINITY

    20151205_101845 (2)Jacob stumbled to the pool and plunged his head into the water. Somewhere in the back of his mind a voice told him to take sips, but he ignored it, gulping in the tepid liquid. Then his stomach twisted and he heaved.

    Exhaustion and dehydration left him trembling in the blazing heat. Once his stomach settled he drank again, this time, small mouthfuls. He closed his eyes to ease the throbbing in his head. If only he could remember how he got here. Two days of wandering this endless, barren landscape and he still had no clue.

    A deep rumbling set his heart racing. An earthquake was the last thing he needed. He looked across the deep ravines that riddled the canyon. It went on forever. One of the giant plateaus swayed back and forth and a rock at the top swung around. Two beady black eyes stared at him.

    The breath caught in Jacob’s throat. It had to be heatstroke playing with his mind. Rocks didn’t have eyes. He dunked his head again, trying to ignore the sound of grinding stone.

    “Share,” said a booming voice.

    Jacob scrambled away from the pool, staring at the stone face above him, then waved the creature to the water. The giant tortoise drank deeply then blinked at him.

    “Remember,” said the tortoise.

    Tears filled Jacob’s eyes. His child, alone, in a locked car. A copper haze covered his vision then he woke to begin the cycle again.

  • AIN’T GOOD

    crow composit

    “Look at all them owls in that tree,” said Lowell. His jowls wobbled as he wiped sweat from his face with an already soaked and disgusting orange sleeve.

    Harvey wrinkled his nose. The putrid scent blowing down the hill wasn’t much worse than Lowell’s odor. If he didn’t still need the despicable little man, Harvey would have strangled him on sight.

    “They’re vultures,” said Harvey. “Owls ain’t up in daytime and don’t flock like that.”

    “Well they stink. I don’t wanna go this way.”

    “It’s this or rot in prison.”

    Lowell continued to whine. “You said you had a way out, a secret way.”

    “I do,” said Harvey, as he trudged to the top of the ridge and gazed at the vultures.

    Lowell joined him a moment later, gasping from the exertion, eyes closed. It was a full two minutes before Lowell opened his eyes and saw the partially decomposed bodies strewn under the tree. Their telltale orange jumpsuits marked them as prisoners. His meaty hands grasped Harvey’s arm.

    “Those are guys who supposedly escaped.” Lowell’s voice rose in pitch. “They’re dead! We’re gonna die!”

    “No, Lowell,” said Harvey. “WE ain’t gonna die.”

    Dozens of beady black eyes watched as Harvey cut Lowell’s throat and pushed him against the tree. Blood coated the bark, which began to glow.

    “Hurting little girls ain’t good, Lowell. Judge went too easy for what you did to my sister.”

    Harvey watch Lowell’s eyes widen as the birds descended then stepped through the portal.

  • DEADWOOD

    deadwoodIf I close my eyes I can see it as it was before that night; quaint little buildings with lit up signs, craft and antique shops filled with assorted treasures. I used to love walking up and down the street late at night after the rest of town went to bed. It was the only solitude I found back then in a town full of busybodies. If only I could turn back time and bask in their attention.

    They said the river, fifty feet below Wood Town, was too far to be a flood problem. I guess they were right. It wasn’t the river that caused its destruction. Six inches of rain fell that Saturday evening just before dinner.  A torrent of water rushed down the hills above town, sweeping everything with it. Cars and people were tossed like sand in the waves. Two hundred year old stonework ripped from foundations. Chunks of sidewalk joined the churning rubble as it raced to the river.

    Now all that remains is darkness and debris. Everyone is gone, all of them, young and old. Crumbled bricks lay scattered amidst gutted out buildings that once held thriving businesses and homes.

    I have plenty of solitude now as I complete my nightly walk. No one is here to pester me with questions or babble about the latest gossip. I wish they were. My feet feel heavy, like waterlogged wood, but they leave no marks in the silt filled street. The dead leave no prints.

  • FOAM

    foam-2

    “Let him have it,” said Alice. “He’s almost got it contained.”

    “One more minute,” said Jim as he and Alice watched Mr. Turner corral the foam into a neat circle.

    There was always a little scum floating at the water’s edge this time of year, but this morning the entire lake had been coated with a mysterious layer of fluffy white cream. Mr. Turner was sent out to clean the mess before his coffee and had been grumbling the entire time.

    Just as Turner finished, Jim pointed his finger. “Tempest.”

    A whirling gust ripped across the lake, sending the foam flying. Turner threw his ball cap into the boat and shouted curses. His stomping rocked the craft, nearly tossing him into the water.

    “I bet he never hassles another barista about low foam on his latte again,” said Alice, between bouts of laughter.

    Jim felt heat flush his face just thinking about yesterday’s fiasco. Turner had called him a lazy inept kid who wouldn’t amount to anything. Being dressed down in front of the entire coffee shop and then fired wasn’t half as bad as the way everyone laughed.

    Only Alice had stood by him. She always did. More than a best friend, she was the only one who knew about his magic.

    “I still think you should have zapped some cinnamon on top,” said Alice. “You know that’s how he always takes his coffee.”

    “It wouldn’t change anything,” Jim said, shaking his head.

    “But it sure would feel good.”

     

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  • SNOWBALL SAVES THE DAY

    20150129_133654Everywhere that Snowball looked he saw sad faces and drooped shoulders. Sally at the salon pat his head and gave a halfhearted smile. Even Happy Harold from the hardware store looked dejected.

    All the gloomy faces made Snowball’s big brown eyes feel as blue as the clear sky. Snow Town hadn’t had any precipitation in months. Now it looked like there wouldn’t be a white Christmas. Tourists didn’t want to visit a snowless Snow Town. Some had already turned around to head for damper locations, making the town’s future look dim.

    Snowball shivered, but not from the biting cold or the wind that whipped his fur up into a demented pom-pom. Five years ago he’d been a frightened, scrawny, half-starved pup. The people of Snow Town rescued him and gave him a loving new forever home. Now it was his turn to help them. If only he could make it snow.

    The smell of Peta’s meat pie from the pizza place made Snowball’s mouth water. He had to stop and shake the delicious smell from his mind so he could focus on finding snow. Pizza couldn’t help. Or could it? Snowball jumped onto the counter and grabbed a jar of parmesan. With bounding leaps he spread the stuff around town, covering it with a layer of delicious white cheese. It didn’t take long for his people to understand his plan and join in the sprinkling. A few Facebook posts later, tourists flocked to see the best smelling ‘snowdrifts’ ever.

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  • Fire Hot Rescue

    lime-flame

    “Drop that hose here, Ryan. Hook it up fast. I want to wash off the road and get out of this uniform.”

    “I hear you. Having to wear the oxygen tanks as well isn’t fair. How did we get stuck with solo clean-up duty?”

    “You know darn well why. How did you ever talk me into a lime Jell-O balloon toss?”

    “Everyone at the street festival had a blast, especially with the Jell-O balloons. Food scraps are everywhere. This is more than just our mess. The rest of the squad should be here.”

    “Well, maybe if you hadn’t smashed a balloon on the captain’s daughter they would be.”

    “She sure looked hot in that white dress, soaked and clinging to her skin.”

    “You mean green and sticky. I’d rather face a five alarm fire than the flames in the Captains eyes. Jenny may never speak to you again.”

    “I don’t know, James. There she is now.”

    “Hi, boys. Either of you need a drink? Got some fresh lime-aid.”

    “Cute, Jenny. I’d love some. Sorry about your dress. Hope there’s no hard feelings.”

    “Of course not, Ryan. You were just havin’ fun. Want some, James?”

    “No thanks, Jenny. Hey, Ryan, you okay? Your face is turning bright red and your eyes are watering.”

    “Oh dear. So sorry, Ryan. I must have gotten some ghost pepper in that lime-aid you just guzzled. Hope there’s no hard feelings.”

    “Wow, that’s hot stuff, Ryan. Good thing we have a fire hose.”

     

     

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  • RIVER GODS

    20160813_131602Sheets of water streamed behind Mark Mayfield’s speedboat as he turned hard at yet another twist of the Tuscahana River. Adrenaline soared through his veins. Navigating these hairpin turns at high speed took all his concentration.  Some called the annual River Gods race cursed because of the many accidents. Still, racers flocked yearly.

    Today Mark’s luck held. His nearest competitor was a half mile back. Eight others had flipped or run aground on the dangerous waterway. Hundreds of people cheered along the steep banks as he made the last turn. Victory hung before him, then a movement in the shadow caught his attention. Golden eyes blinked from the darkness beneath a group of children who dangling their legs over the edge. A mud colored limb struck a stick standing in the water beneath them. The ground shifted. Rows of jagged teeth smiled at Mark as he raced past.

    All thoughts of the finishing the race vanished. Mark yanked the speedboat into a tight turn only inches from the black and white checked strip hanging across the river. The crowd gasped as he headed upstream and buried his boat into the crevasse under the children just as the ground gave way. Mark sat, heart pounding, as a red stain ooze from under the boat, thankful none of the children were hurt.

    No one knew what kind of creature Mark had smashed that day. There was little left to examine. But there were a lot fewer accidents during future River Gods races.

     

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  • PARADISE

    Krka National Park Kendall Bullen
    Photo courtesy of Kendall Bullen

    “How long are you going to keep us here?” asked Bridget, through chattering teeth.

    Fear of hypothermia was overriding the threat of the stranger’s rifle. It was hard to enjoy nature’s beauty while freezing your naked bum off. She could barely feel her legs in the frigid water. Jason’s arms were tightly wrapped around his chest. Behind them crystal clear water cascaded over steep rocks. Their well-worn surface turned the waterfall into a musical lullaby. Both she and Jason had fallen sound asleep after their long hike. Then the stranger showed up. Now the sound knelled like a death sentence.

    “Y’all just enjoy your little bath,” said the stranger. He lounged in the sun on their blanket eating fried chicken. Empty containers lay scattered about; all licked clean by their captor. “I haven’t eaten this well since I killed my ex.”

    Bridget’s heart jumped. This was supposed to be paradise, not a nightmare. “You promised you wouldn’t hurt us.”

    “Don’t you worry, darling.” He bit into a lemon tart and moaned with pleasure. “These are delicious. Sure you won’t consider staying?”

    She glanced at Jason and saw the panic in his eyes. If he thought for a second that she’d consider the offer, he didn’t know her at all. Being one with nature didn’t include becoming part of it.

    Bridget turned away. “No thanks.”

    The stranger smiled and put a lighter on the blanket. “Too bad. Y’all get a fire going now.”

    With one last wink, he vanished into the forest.

  • ALIEN DECEIT

    047

    “Ensign Jeffries, there’s been a malfunction,” said Samuels.

    Teleportation was risky. People used to end up in walls, underground, midair, even floating in space, but there hadn’t been any off world malfunctions like this in years. She glanced at the strange dome with the bulging transparent material, then checked the air quality analyzer. This wasn’t Republic headquarters but at least the air was breathable.

    Trees and shrubs surrounded the huge structure. Hundreds of triangles formed the dome. It was unlike anything she’d ever seen in Republic space. Only a supremely advanced and powerful species would dare to construct such a fragile looking building. They must have severe punishments to keep their world under control. Trespassing was a jailable offence where she came from.

    “Begin emergency retrieve protocol.”

    Static greeted her, not unlike Jeffries’ expressionless look when he initiated the transport. Her throat began to constrict. Neither she nor Jeffries made mistakes. They were both top technicians up for the same promotion.

    A huge, furry creature barreled toward her. Its lips pulled back showing savage teeth and a long tongue. Her universal translator couldn’t interpret what it bellowed. Panic gripped her.

    “Jeffries, you can have the promotion! I don’t want it. Just get me out of here!”

    The massive beast knocked her to the ground. Samuels screamed. Saliva splattered her face.

    “Bad dog,” said a man. “I’m so sorry. He’s usually very gentle. Are you okay?”

    Samuels stopped shaking as he helped her stand. The man didn’t seem dangerous and was rather attractive. The dog flopped on its side, tail wagging, too cute to ignore. Maybe this place wasn’t so bad.